1) International Day of the Girl Child: 11 October
•The United Nations observes International Day of the Girl Child on 11th of October every year. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
•The theme for 2019: GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable.
2) SARAS Aajeevika Mela begins in New Delhi
•SARAS Aajeevika Mela has begun at India Gate Lawns, in New Delhi. It has been organized by the Ministry of Rural Development under the initiative of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission. It aims to bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed with support of DAY-NRLM, under one platform to show-case their skills, sell their products and help them build linkages with bulk buyers.
•Over 200 stalls have been set-up at the Mela venue, where nearly 500 rural SHG craftswomen from 29 States and UTs will show-case varied range of products like handicrafts, handlooms, natural food products and a food court with regional cuisines at India Gate Lawns.
3) 38th India Carpet Expo begins in Varanasi
•The 38th India Carpet Expo will be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The expo will be organized by the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC). The India Carpet Expo aims to promote the cultural heritage and weaving skills of Indian hand-made carpets and other floor coverings for the visiting overseas carpet buyers.
•India carpet expo also acts as a platform for international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents, architects and Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters to meet and establish business relationship.
4) Maharashtra & Goa Circle celebrating National Postal Week
•The Maharashtra and Goa Circle of the India Post is celebrating National Postal Week. The postal circle is observing the National Postal Week in each of the six regions under its jurisdiction – Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Goa.
•The week is being celebrated to spread awareness about services provided by the department and efforts made to meet changing requirements of customers. The week also commemorates the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss capital Berne.
5) Railway police’s website & mobile app “Sahyatri” launched
•Union Minister Nityanand Rai has launched a Government Railway Police’s website “railways.delhipolice.gov.in” and a mobile application “Sahyatri”. The database of criminals, including their photographs, active in railways’ jurisdiction all over India would be uploaded on the Railway police’s website. It will also have the facility to scan and read QR codes and make an emergency call.
•The Sahyatri app will help railway passengers find out the jurisdiction of a police station and the details of GRP officials by geo-tagging with Google Maps. It will also help the railway police in addressing complaints of passengers from across India and crime detection by integrating the criminal database online.
6) GoI launches Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative
•Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative in New Delhi. The initiative was launched during the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare.
•The initiative aims to assure dignified, respectful and quality health care at no cost for every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility in order to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths. It also provides a positive birth experience to both mother and infant. With the initiative, the government is committed to achieve the target of reducing the maternal mortality and child mortality.
7) 9th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting to be held in Thailand
•The 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial Meeting will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. This will be the final Ministerial meeting before the 3rd Leaders’ Summit which will be held on November 4, 2019 in Bangkok.
•Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will represent India in the meeting. He will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Japan, Singapore, China, Australia and New Zealand during the Bangkok Ministerial.
8) Moody’s cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.8% for FY20
•Moody, the rating agency has lowered its 2019-20 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.8% from 6.2%. It stated that the Indian economy is experiencing a pronounced slowdown partly due to long-lasting factors.Moody, the rating agency has lowered its 2019-20 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.8% from 6.2%. It stated that the Indian economy is experiencing a pronounced slowdown partly due to long-lasting factors.
9) Gujarat to host conference of State Power Ministers
•Gujarat will host the State Power Ministers’ Conference. It will take place at Kevadia, on the banks of Narmada river. The 2 day conference will see discussions on policies related to emerging technologies in sustainable and renewable energy sector. It will also look after the implementation of Prime Minister Kusum Yojana, Solar Roof top, renewable energy development in the border areas, projects for Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks, ease of doing business in solar and wind energy space and the concerning issues related to regulatory matters, land and infrastructure.
10) GeM signs MOU with Union Bank of India
•Government e-Marketplace signed an MoU with Union Bank of India. As per the MoU, UBI will be able to offer an array of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts, advising of Performance Bank Guarantees and Earnest Money Deposit to the registered users on the GeM portal. The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and will create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
•GeM is an initiative of the Government of India offering one stop platform facilitating online procurement of common use goods and services required by various government departments, organisations, Public Sector Units.
11) The Nobel Prize in Literature 2018 and 2019
•The Nobel Prizes in Literature 2018 and 2019 were announced at The Swedish Academy in Stockholm. Both winners will receive a full cash prize, valued this year at 9-million kronor ($918,000), a gold medal and a diploma.
•The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2018 is awarded to the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk. She has been awarded “for a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.”
•The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2019 is awarded to the Austrian author Peter Handke. He has been awarded “for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience.”
12) The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019
•The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. He has been awarded for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea. The prize is also meant to recognise all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions.
•He will receive a full cash prize, valued this year at 9-million kronor ($918,000), a gold medal and a diploma.
